General
questions about Advantage
Q1 Do the
programs cover abattoirs and other meat processing plants? What about dairy plants?
Fruit and vegetable processors? Other commodities?
A1 Yes, the Advantage
Series of Food Safety Programs™ apply to all food processing facilities.
It does not matter what commodity you process or the regulations some commodities
might have to meet.
Q2 How does the Advantage
Series of Food Safety Programs™ relate to or fit in with Ontario regulations?
A2 Advantage programs complement current food safety regulations. They
do not replace these regulations. Facilities must comply with applicable food
safety regulations whether or not they adopt any Advantage program(s).
Questions about implementing Advantage
Q1
How costly are Advantage GMP, Advantage HACCP, and Advantage HACCP
Plus to implement?
A1 Through extensive research, stakeholder
discussions, and in-plant testing, OMAFRA has developed an approach to HACCP
that:
- is feasible and practical for Ontario's small and medium-sized
facilities to implement
- will maximize food safety.
There are
many factors that will affect the cost of a program. It depends on the extent
of the changes you will need to make, based on such factors as:
- the
condition of your facility
- the number of products or processes
- the
degree to which your facility already meets Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
requirements.
Just remember: there may be costs associated with implementing
HACCP, but a well-designed and implemented HACCP system can actually help decrease
costs in certain areas. For example, your operation can identify product flow
bottlenecks. You can monitor efficient use of sanitation chemicals. And, your
employees will be trained to identify potential problems before they occur.
Q2
Could a small business with less than 10 employees implement the Advantage
Series of Food Safety Programs ™?
A2 Yes. The programs
were developed to be feasible for even very small facilities. Small facilities
may need to be extra careful when doing a gap and cost-benefit analysis before
deciding to implement an Advantage program. It's important to ensure your expectations
are realistic.
Q3 Will facilities be required
to implement HACCP?
A3 No, facilities are not required to implement
HACCP. The Advantage Series of Food Safety Programs™ has been developed
as a voluntary program. It will be up to individual facilities to assess whether
the benefits of implementing the program will make it economically feasible to
do so.
Q4 Does OMAFRA have a staffed helpline
(phone, email) for the Advantage Series of Food Safety Programs™?
A4 Yes. OMAFRA has established an email address: advantage@ontario.ca
and a toll-free helpline: 1 877 424-1300
Q5 How
long will it take to implement an Advantage food safety program?
A5 The time required to implement an Advantage program will depend on:
- the condition of your facility
- how well you are already meeting GMP
and HACCP requirements.
Some facilities will have extensive food safety
systems in place and few facility upgrades to make. Others may require more substantial
preparations. These facilities will require more time to implement Advantage.
Generally, the implementation period ranges from eight to eighteen months.
Questions about Advantage certification
Q1
How much will it cost to get Advantage certified?
A1 There
is a fee for certification from the auditing body. For more information, please
contact 1 877 424-1300 or email advantage@ontario.ca.
Q2
How will you ensure consistency and fairness with a third party system for certification
or recognition?
A2 To ensure consistency and fairness:
Q3
Will OMAFRA list facilities certified under Advantage on its web site?
A3 Yes, OMAFRA posts certified
facilities after their certification status has been confirmed.
Q4
Can my facility get Advantage certification outside OMAFRA and the certification
body?
A4 No. Other HACCP
audit and service providers can be an excellent resource. They can even provide
valuable information regarding a HACCP system. But Advantage programs
will be officially certified only through the authorized certification body. This
ensures a level of consistency, transparency and government oversight for the
auditing process that will prove valuable to the program as a whole.
Q5
What happens if there is a food -related illness / incident involving a plant
certified under Advantage GMP, HACCP or HACCP Plus?
A5 During
a certification or surveillance audit, a review of the food safety program will
take place. But those results reflect the circumstances that existed only at a
single point in time - the day of the audit. The continued maintenance of the
food safety program is the responsibility of the plant operator. When you implement
Advantage food safety programs, you take control of food safety. Any
food-related illnesses from products developed by the plant that take place following
the audit are still the responsibility of the facility to follow-up with and take
appropriate action
